A former Villanova University football player was found not guilty on Thursday of attempting to sexually assault a classmate back in 2019.
The football player, who will not be named by The Daily Wire because his accuser is not being named by other outlets, was found not guilty after a three-day trial in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The jury made the determination on the same day the trial ended, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
While the prosecution maintained that the female accuser was traumatized, defense attorney Daniel Bush provided text messages showing the woman continued to spend time with the accused student-athlete after the alleged traumatizing assault. Bush noted that the two shared Uber rides and that the woman invited the accused to her dorm days after the alleged incident.
Bush argued that the woman only made the allegations after the two had an argument.
“A rape allegation is not a sword you pull out of your pants and swing around every time you get mad,” Bush said in his closing statement, according to the Inquirer. “That’s what she did.”
The woman testified that the accused had asked her for nude photos over Snapchat and that she went to his room alone on September 2, 2019, according to the Delco Times. She claimed she told a friend to get her if she was not back in 30 minutes. She alleged that the accused pulled her onto his lap and she protested, saying she had a boyfriend. She claimed the accused kept her from leaving by holding her wrists and laying on top of her on the bed. She also said she was so afraid she started to recite the Lord’s Prayer, prompting the accused to finally let her go.
The accused, who is the son of Nigerian immigrants, testified that the woman sat on his lap, and he thought she wanted to have sex but that he stopped when she seemed uncomfortable. He also denied that he kept her from leaving, saying he walked her to the front door of the building.
Friends of the woman testified that she told them about the alleged encounter within days, but she also continued to spend time with the accused.
The accused testified that after riding together to a party, the woman became angry with him and accused him of turning her friends against her after the two had an argument. A text message exchange showed in court revealed that she later texted the accused, giving him an ultimatum. The next day, she reported the alleged rape to a resident assistant, who reported it to police. At that time, the woman declined to press charges.
But two years later, she changed her mind, claiming the accused student was following and harassing her. The accused student’s attorney argued in court that campus police could not substantiate the woman’s stalking claims.
Bush, the defense attorney, said that his client had asked the woman to stop spreading rumors that he was a “registered sex offender.” A day after he sent this text, the woman went to police to file rape charges.
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After this woman came forward, two others claimed the accused sexually assaulted them back in 2019 as well, the Philly Voice reported. Later this month, a status meeting will be held to determine how to proceed on those allegations.
The accused student was removed from campus and kicked off the football team. After the jury verdict, his attorney said his client would need to rebuild his life.
“This case shows that mere accusations do not mean that someone actually committed a crime, but accusations alone can destroy a person’s world. Law enforcement needs to be more diligent on who they actually charge,” the defense attorney said. “[The accused] has maintained his innocence from day one, and fought hard to prove it.”